I’m going to share my Twitter thoughts on Food Inc. because this is a topic that has been on my mind lately and I’m having trouble putting together something more coherent and comprehensive. So these soundbites will do for now. (“RT” means I’m restating something said by the person whose name follows.)
Watching Food Inc. on PBS. The sick and dead chickens – wow. just wow.
I didn’t know farmed fish are fed corn.
RT @gammasworld: Sounds like the chicken “farmers” are modern-day share croppers — never owning a damn thing for owing the big companies.
RT @ezweber: Instead of going vegan you should support farmer who farm in a way in line with your values.
RT @Rosemont_Farm: I can’t understand why farmers get their panties in a bunch over #foodinc – it’s going after big processors & unsafe practices not you.
RT @dushom: There is more than one side to an argument, #FoodInc may reveal some issues to fix, but no solutions to feeding the world.
RT @SouthShoreTwit: #foodinc is disheartening. Like banking, the executives become the regulators, and the lobbyists write the legislation. We are the suckers.
Read through an ag response to #foodinc. I feel like the truth lies in the middle. http://bit.ly/9YuUsE
The organic/small vs conventional/large farming debate has interested me since I worked at an ag newspaper. Still undecided. #agonfoodinc
agreed RT @BeginningFarmer: divisiveness will not help to make the food system or farmers lives better, we need understandin
@mrobin032009 I’m with you on less processed stuff. Wondering if grass-feed beef, cagefree eggs, etc. are truly better or if it’s a myth
April 21, 2010 at 10:22 pm
I can’t watch the show, because I am pretty sure I will never be able to eat again (and I REALLY like to eat) BUT Joe says he can tell a difference between the half a cow we get (grass fed, raised by a family friend) and the stuff from the store. I don’t really eat it enough to tell. I do know “our” burger is W A Y less fatty though.
April 22, 2010 at 9:16 am
I’m a big fan of small scale farms that have respect for their crops, their impact, their animals and themselves. I wouldn’t say personally that I can taste a difference when we get beef that I know where it comes from but yes it is definitely less fatty and I feel better knowing that poor cow was raised in a humane fashion and wasn’t stuck on a feed lot indefinitely waiting for slaughter. My version of the ideal in the food world is lets all go back a hundred years or so so everyone has a little garden you go to the butcher to get your meat and you preserve your own produce etc. etc. I know we’re all busy and I’m a little backwards but hey that’s where I’m at. I was watching POV last night on PBS, wow is that monsanto a great organization, oh wait no they’re the oppisite of great! I knew that already but seriously they are not a nice organization and how wonderfully reasuring that the little guys stands a chance agains the giant company, oh wait nope that’s not true either. Go US legal systems and boughtout public representatives!!! sorry I’m bitter today!
April 28, 2010 at 10:49 am
I’m with you on everything except wondering if grass fed and or cage free are better or a myth… Well, I don’t know about how the eggs TASTE cage free vs not, but if we are going to use animals for our own needs, we should at least treat them better while using them. So IMO cage free is better ethically for sure and as far as grass fed beef- I truly believe their digestive systems and bodies were made for grass. And I also believe grass fed is both better for them just to be nicer AND you can tell by eating the meat.
I definitely agree with your comment “Instead of going vegan, just buy from places that are more in line with your values… hence my whole foods obsession and saving to enter meat CSA
April 28, 2010 at 11:07 am
I completely agree that they are better ethically. I just wonder if they make a difference in our health. Also, Food Inc. didn’t point out that a majority of cattle are started on grass and finished on grain at the feedlot at the very end of their life. So I think it exaggerated some of its points.
April 28, 2010 at 4:41 pm
interesting! why do they change to grain? I’ve had a few… ok 2 “farmer” friends tell me cows are never supposed to eat grass?
April 29, 2010 at 8:56 am
They switch to grain to bulk them up at the end. They grow faster on grain. Just like people get fat on too much grain. Wow, I can’t believe a farmer would say cows are not supposed to eat grass. I wouldn’t buy from them!
April 28, 2010 at 10:50 am
Oh and I completely agree with Gillian! We need to step back a few decades…
April 28, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Still haven’t watched any of those movies, but have read some of the books… for me, it’s really the antibiotics (75% in US are given to farm animals + not people) and the pesticides, which they spray more of every year to combat bugs.